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Effect of Daily Supplementation with Iron and Zinc on Iron Status of Childbearing Age Women

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Abstract

The objective was to determine the effect of daily supplementation with 30 mg of iron (Fe) plus 30 mg of zinc (Zn) for 3 months on Fe status of women of childbearing age. This was a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eighty-one women (18–45 years) were randomly assigned to receive either a daily single dose of 30 mg of Fe (group 1; n = 28) and 30 mg of Fe plus 30 mg of Zn (group 2; n = 26) or placebo (n = 27) for 3 months. Hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume, serum Fe, total iron-binding capacity, transferrin saturation, erythrocyte Zn protoporphyrin, serum ferritin (SF), serum transferrin receptor (TfR), total body Fe, serum Zn, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. At baseline, 3.7, 28.4, and 3.7 % of women had iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), Fe deficiency without anemia, and depleted Fe stores, respectively. No significant differences on Fe status were found between groups before supplementation. After supplementation, group 2 showed a significant increase of Hb and total body Fe and a significant decrease of TfR compared with placebo (p < 0.05). Moreover, serum Zn increased significantly in group 2 compared with group 1 (p < 0.01) and placebo (p < 0.01). In conclusion, daily supplementation with 30 mg of Fe plus 30 mg of Zn for 3 months improved significantly the Fe and Zn status of women, compared with those who received placebo. The positive effect of Fe supplementation on Fe status is enhanced by combined Zn supplementation.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Daniel López de Romaña for his critical review of the manuscript and Ms. Angélica Letelier for her technical assistance. The study was supported by Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT) Chile grant no. 1130075.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Micronutrients Laboratory, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Chile, Av. El Líbano 5524, Macul, 7830490, Santiago, Chile

    María F. Mujica-Coopman, Angélica Borja, Fernando Pizarro & Manuel Olivares

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  1. María F. Mujica-Coopman
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  2. Angélica Borja
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  3. Fernando Pizarro
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  4. Manuel Olivares
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Correspondence to Manuel Olivares.

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Mujica-Coopman, M.F., Borja, A., Pizarro, F. et al. Effect of Daily Supplementation with Iron and Zinc on Iron Status of Childbearing Age Women. Biol Trace Elem Res 165, 10–17 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0226-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-014-0226-y

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